ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I will introduce a specific concept of early childhood education that has been developed in a Japanese kindergarten. This proposes that children are expected to experience art and imaginative play as closely related activities. The kindergarten refers to the concept as Hakken to Boken, or Discovery and Adventure. This programme has two characteristics. First, explorative activity in the real and imagined world plays an important role both in children’s art and in their imaginative play. Second, the curriculum is designed for children’s art and imaginative play to interact productively and enrich each other.
